Island Hopping in the Galapagos: In the Footsteps of Darwin

The Galapagos Islands are undoubtedly one of the wonders of this world. The Galapagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean, approximately 1000 km west of Ecuador in South America, the country to which they belong. There are 18 major islands and 3 small islands, with the highest elevation being 1.707 m. They cover a total area of 7,880 square kilometres. Discovered by a Dominican Friar by accident in 1835, they have been visited by pirates, whalers and famous people such as Charles Darwin – and now by tourists. Darwin described the Galapagosas ‘a little world within itself’, where you can have magical encounters with the animals, which are quite indifferent to one’s presence. They had a profound impact on Darwin and his future studies. The islands are famed for their numerous endemic species and our guest speaker Lynsey Poole will bring these animals and plants alive as we hop from one island to another. The Galapagos Islands are known for their giant tortoises, blue – footed boobies, flightless cormorants and marine iguanas, but not so much for their variety of plants.